The nation's electric power system is a large-scale, networked, and heterogeneous system with multi-scale physics, in which electrical energy is generated and supplied to consumers in a generally safe and reliable manner. The existing electric power system has a long history of commercial operation of more than 100 years.
Currently, the existing system is being modernized by integrating power technology with information and communications technology, referred to as the “Smart Grid.” The “Smart Grid” vision aims to design the next architecture of the power system that operates in an energy-efficient way, handles renewable energy sources (solar and wind energy), and achieves a robust electricity supply resistant against cyber-security attacks and physical instabilities.
Examples of physical instabilities include the US and Canada blackout on Aug. 14, 2003, where an estimated 50 million people were affected, and 61,800 megawatts (MW) of electric load were lost. Estimates of total costs in the United States for this incident are between 4 billion and 10 billion US dollars.